Prevalence and Risk Factors for Anxiety and Depression in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is determined by the presence of kidney injury and by the level of renal function, assessed according to the glomerular filtration rate. Depression and anxiety are more frequent in patients on maintenance haemodialysis than the general population, and are associated with reduced quality of life and increased mortality risk. Patients on haemodialysis are thought to be highly susceptible to emotional problems because of the chronic stress-related to disease burden, dietary restrictions, functional limitations, associated chronic illness, adverse effects of medications, changes in self-perception and fear of death. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of depression among CKD Patients undergoing haemodialysis. Materials & Methods: A Total of 82 subjects of age 25 years or above are included in this study. HADS questionnaire is used to assess the level of depression. After obtaining informed consent, the patients were subjected to detailed history including personal and demographic characteristics, disease related information and various lab investigations. Results: The present study shows that there were significant association of depression in haemodialysis patients. Depression among this study population showed a moderate positive correlation which was found to be statistically significant. Occupation was the only factor observed as significantly associated with depression levels. Conclusion: Depression is the most prevalent entities among the haemodialysis population. They are more prevalent in female, uneducated married patients belonging to lower socioeconomic class.